Maxis & Singtel launch Malaysia's first all-in-one 5G platform

Maxis has partnered with Singtel to introduce Malaysia's first all-in-one platform for 5G network, edge computing, cloud, and services orchestration, built on Singtel's Paragon for telco networks.

The platform aims to make 5G-Advanced (5G-A) and 5G technology, edge, and multi-cloud computing more accessible to Malaysian businesses, thereby accelerating digital transformation across various sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and public services.

The partnership was officially announced during the Malaysia Commercialisation Year (MCY) Summit 2024, an event organised by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) to promote the national commercialisation ecosystem. The event was officiated by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged at the Maxis booth between Mr Goh Seow Eng, Chief Executive Officer of Maxis, and Mr Manoj Prasanna Kumar, Chief Technology Officer of Singtel Digital InfraCo.

The platform, available in Malaysia through Maxis' enterprise arm, Maxis Business, will enable on-demand edge computing services. This provides customers access to low-latency computing, GPU as a Service (GPUaaS), and storage. With multi-access edge computing (MEC) capabilities, data from end-users and devices can be processed at the edge. This combined with Artificial Intelligence (AI) aims to deliver real-time processing and intelligent decision-making.

Regarding the new platform, Mr Goh Seow Eng, Chief Executive Officer of Maxis, stated, "Our collaboration addresses customer needs by providing a unified 5G platform that simplifies orchestration across network and cloud environments. The platform enables greater access, speed, and flexibility for businesses to deploy and manage 5G and cloud computing solutions seamlessly. This will help them to focus on their core business, further strengthening their competitiveness globally. As the country's leading integrated telco, we look forward to accelerating 5G-A and 5G adoption and the digitalisation of Malaysian businesses as the preferred digital business partner."

Mr Bill Chang, Chief Executive Officer of Singtel Digital InfraCo, echoed these sentiments, noting, "We've seen a strong shift in demand from enterprises for 5G and edge computing capabilities to accelerate their digital transformation."

"Singtel has been leading the charge, forging various strategic partnerships with telcos globally with Paragon, being instrumental in this adoption. Paragon enables faster monetisation of 5G infrastructure by reducing complexities for telcos to deliver and scale 5G use cases. We are pleased to partner with Maxis to mutually expand and deepen the service opportunities of 5G and edge monetisation in Malaysia."

The platform is poised to benefit businesses through various enterprise applications requiring high-speed data processing, such as real-time analytics, mixed reality, and autonomous systems. It will be locally hosted and deployed in Malaysia, ensuring cybersecurity and data sovereignty requirements are met for Malaysian businesses.

With Paragon platforms already successfully deployed in four ASEAN markets, Maxis will bring this capability exclusively to Malaysia. This makes it easier for multinational companies to operate efficiently with a common experience and unified architecture across the region. This move comes at a strategic time, considering Malaysia's upcoming ASEAN chairmanship in 2025, where the nation will play a significant role in leading the regional bloc's economic and digital ambitions.

The partnership highlights Maxis' commitment to driving innovation and enabling Industry 4.0 transformation through real-world applications. Besides 5G and cloud-native solutions, this commitment extends to developing next-generation solutions in Malaysia around AI, Generative AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), and 5G-Advanced technology.

Singtel Paragon promises to be a comprehensive solution allowing enterprises to connect with the 5G network and rapidly and securely deploy their edge computing applications and services on the telco's infrastructure. This reduces time-to-market and shortens the innovation curve, lowering barriers for adopting MEC services and unlocking efficiency and business innovation for enterprises.